A fun ride, if a little troubling (very slight spoiler)

Rating: 8/10 (22 July 2005)

I just saw this movie last night at a sneak preview in my town, and I was quite surprised and pleased at how much fun it was. I was excited to see it because I love Sean Bean, but I was expecting it to be another lame science fiction disaster. Instead, I found it clever, thoughtful, well-written/produced/acted/etc., and socially relevant. Unfortunately, this social relevance pertains to its very obvious anti-stem cell research agenda. When I told the guy from the studio who was asking for our opinions after the movie that I liked the film but disapproved of the message, he didn't look at all surprised by my reaction. Luckily, I can reconcile my overall approval of "The Island" with its uncomfortable message because I don't believe that using human clones for spare parts when the original body gets damaged is the same as using stem cells to try to cure cancer, as stem cells are not and never will be people.
But back to the movie, it had interesting references to earlier science fiction "futuristic society" works such as "The Giver" by Lois Lowry, and even a German radio play called "Der Fisch" (the Fish) in which a man living in a futuristic world supposedly devoid of all natural resources and atmosphere claims to have seen a creature that has been extinct for hundreds of years: a fish. Another viewer claimed that the movie reminded him of "Brave New World," but references to this novel are very slight, as the controlled society of Huxley's vision is hierarchical and based on pleasure and satisfaction. This can hardly be said of "The Island."
All in all, I enjoyed the movie and was very glad that I saw it, and I hope that other viewers who recognize the blatant metaphor of the plot take it with a grain of salt and don't start to equate Scarlett Johansson with stem cells in their minds.